Bloomberg Businessweek has a thought-provoking article on the rise of China, past Japan into the world’s economic No. 2 spot, and how Japan might be the model it follows, which may not be the best for China as it would lead to turmoil and disquiet.

Bloomberg Businessweek’s John Lee writes,

Although “capitalism with Chinese characteristics” does not seek to replicate any particular model, its similarities to the Japanese approach are striking. Like Japan in the 1970s and ’80s, China is nearing the end of its reliance on exports and fixed investment to drive growth—and looking to shift toward policies that can enhance domestic consumption. To achieve this, it is seemingly blessed with an authoritarian government that can concentrate on policies that need not sacrifice the country’s long-term interests for short-term political expediency.